Bubble tray water decanter



S p 1953 H. B. MANLEY 2,652,238

BUBBLE TRAY WATER DECANTER Filed June 10, 1950 3 n 02 n for 52 44 fiU/Was E Man/e I MW attorneys Patented Sept. 15, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,652,238 BUBBLE TRAY WATER DECANTER Humes B. Manley, Powell, Wyo. Application June 10, 1950, Serial No. 167,431 4 Claims. (01. 261-114) readily taken apart and removed for cleaning.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention hereinafter pointed out I have provided improved structure, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a portion of a bubble tray type of fractionator equipped with liquid separators embodying the features of the present invention, one of the separators being shown in vertical section.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section through one of the separators to better illustrate the passages therein.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through a modified form of separator.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

I designates a fractlonating tower having a series of gas and liquid contact stages including superimposed trays 2 that extend transversely in the tower at vertically spaced levels to provide gas or vapor spaces 3 therebetween. The trays 2 join with the wall 4 of the tower and are provided with down flumes 5 that extend from one tray to the other for the progressive down flow of a liquid such as oil, that collects in the respective trays. The wall 6 forming the flumes extends upwardly from the bottom of the trays a suitable distance to provide weirs l for collecting and maintaining definite bodies of liquids in the respective trays and form overflows into the down flumes and the section on a line 3-3 of lower ends of the partitions form liquid seals with the liquids contained in the next lower tray.

Each tray has a plurality of openings 8, in the bottoms 9 thereof, that connect the adjacent gas spaces on the respective sides of the trays and which are formed by upstanding collars I0 of a height to maintain the bodies of liquids in the respective trays and to co-operate with cap l0 for eflecting liquid seals between the respective gas spaces 3 so that the gas traveling from one space to another bubbles through the liquid.

The structure thus far described is conventional in fractionating and like towers which are in common use. Such towers operate satisfactorily, however, water is sometimes experienced and discharge the water independently of the oil, particularly since it is difficult to establish those trays where a water draw off should be located for satisfactory operation.

These difliculties are overcome by the present invention through provision of each bubble tray, where a liquid to be separated is likely to collect, with a liquid separator as now to be described.

In carrying out the present invention, each of flume or duct l3 having an annular flange M at its upper end engaging the bottom of the tray. The lower end of the flume being open as at IE to allow gravity flow of fluid into a receptacle l6 also forming a part of a separator unit. The separator l6 includes an annular wall I! of larger diameter than the fiume to provide an annular upflow passageway l8 therearound. The upper end of the wall l1 has outwardly extending annular flange I9 that seats against the under side of the flange l 4 as best shown in Fig. 2. The wall I! is of longer length than the flume and carries a closed bottom 20. The receptacle I 6 thus cooperates with the flume to provide a connecting passageway 2| between the flume and the up flow passageway It for flow of the heavier liquid and provide hydrostatic head of the heavier liquid as indicated at, 22 Fig. 2 to counterbalance the hydrostatic head of separated liquids contained in the flume l3.

Formed in the side wall 11 of the receptacle are outlets 23 for overflow of the heavier liquid into an outer or collecting receptacle 24. The receptacle 24 also includes an annular wall 25 which is of larger diameter than the wall I7 to provide a down flume passageway 26 in connection with the outlets 23. The upper edge of the wall is provided with an annular flange 21 that seats upon the flange l9 and the lower end of the wall carries a closed bottom 28 to which a drain duct 29 is connected. Pressure is equalized between the gas space in which the separator is connected and the passageway 26 through ports 30 that are formed in the walls 25 adjacent the end of the rod 41 and is retained in spaced reliquid outlets 23. lation with the bottom 45 for maintaining the The inner and outer receptacles are secured to pressure equalizing passageway 54 by a sleeve th t y b t m by f st n d vic s such as 51 that is sleeved on the rod 41 intermediate the bolts 3| that extend through registering open- 5 respective bottoms 45 and 52. The bottoms are ings 32 in the respec ive flanges l4, l9, and 21 clamped against the ends of the sleeve 51 and an registering p gs 33 in the tray as shown the edge 42 of the inner receptacle 4| is drawn in'Fig. 2. The drain duct 29 is secured within an into sealing contact with the annular groove of opening 34 in the bottom 28, for example, by the flume flange by nuts 58 and 59 respectively nuts 35 and 36 that are threaded on to the end engaging under the bottom 52 and against the of the pipe and engage the respective sides of upper face of the bottom 49. The bottom 52 the bottom 28. The drain duct 29 is of suffihas an outlet 60 into which the drain duct 5| cient length to extend substantially to the botis connected. It is apparent that this form of tom of the next lower flume so as to carry the the invention is more readily installed in existheavier liquid that is separated in the upper 5 ing types of contacting towers.

separator into the separated liquid of the next From the foregoing, it is obvious that I have lower separator as best shown in Fig. 1. provided a separator for a liquid and gas con- In operation. the liquid is delivered toan uptactor that is adapted for continuous operation P portion f e tower and gravitates. downand draw off of a heavier liquid such as water wardly when the levels in the respective trays 2 from the lighter contacting liquid. It is also rise above the weirs I for flow through the obvious that I have provided a separator that'is flumes 5 to the succeeding trays. The contactof simple construction and which is easily in ing gas is delivered to a lower portion of the stalled. It is also obvious that the body of conseparator and moves upwardly through the opentact liquid is retained in the tray by hydroings 8 and bubbles through the l q d under h static balance of the heavier liquid and that the caps Ill of the bubble trays to make contact with heavier liquid is drawn off so that the gas does the liquid carried in the respective trays 2. not make contact therewith.

Should the liquid contain a heavier compo- What I claim and desire to secure by Letters nent, such as water, the heavier component col- Patent is: lects on the bottom of the tray and gravitates 1m 1, In a apparatus f the character described downwardly through the flumes l3 and upincluding a bubble tray having an opening in wardly in the passageways 18 until a hydrostatic said tray, a flume depending within said openhead of water or heavy liquid balances the hying, and having an annular flange seated against drostatic head of the liquid in the flumes 13. the bottom of said tray, a receptacle surround- Since the contacting liquid is of lighter weight, ing the flume and having seating contact with it collects in a body above the outlet of the flumes said flange, a spider bridging said opening on l3 and is trapped in the respective trays until the upper side of said tray, a rod connecting the the level rises sufliciently to overflow the weirs 1. spider with said receptacle for retaining the As the heavier liquid tends to accumulate, it fiume and receptacle in position with respectto flows downwardly through the flume l3 and is in said tray, said receptacle having outletsadja displaced upwardly through the passageways 18 cent said flan e, a collecting receptacle for discharge through the outlets 23 whereit is rounding the first named recep a l for receiving collected within the outer receptacles and dis- Overflow th u said outlets, a d ns sup charged through the ducts 29 to the next lower porting the last named receptacle y S I f separaton' It is to be understood that only an apparatus f t ch r escribed those trays where the heavier liquid might aclneludmg a bubb1e tray havms an op n i cumulate may be provided with a separator as Said tray, a flume depending Within Said Op described, however, each tray may be provided ing, and having an annul r fl n e s t d a in t with a separator without loss of the contacting t bottom of said tray, a c p ac e surroundliquid since the heavier liquid separated in an e the flume and having seating c c with upper tray is delivered to a separator of the sa d flange, a spider bridging said opening. on next lower tray to maintain a seal therein of the upp r si e i s y, a rod Connecting the t heavier1iqu1d spider with said receptacle for retaining the The form of the invention illustrated in Fig. flume n receptacle in Position with p et t0 4 operates in the same manner as that. illussaid- 'y, a recepta le h ving outlets adjatrated in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, however the struc-, Cent sa d flange, a collecting receptacle surture and method of mounting the separator is rounding the fi a ed ec ptacle for receivsomewhat different. In this instance the flume s Overflow through sa d ts, m ans sup.- or duct 38 has an annular flange 39 as retained llnrting 13119 last named receptacle by Said .red in clamping contact with the tray bottom 40 by including means r p r i h said r nmeans including the inner receptacle 4| which taele n spaced relation w the y t m h t upper edge 42 of the n 43 thereof and an outlet duct connected with the last named seating within a groove 44 that is formed in the receptacle under side or the flange 39. The bottom 45 of In a as and qu d Contact ppa at s inthe receptacle 4| has an opening 46 which passes eluding a Vessel having a bubble y for 1- a rod 41 having a headed upper end 48 that is eet ng a body of Contact qu d and having as carried by a spider 49 which bridges the outlet Space above and below Said y, Said tray av opening of the tray and has foot portions 5!! ing a as passageway p n hrou h the bot-. bearing upon the upper side of the tray bottom. tom of the tray at one end and throu h the The outer receptacle 5| includes a bottom 52 7 body of liquid at the other end for effecting conand an outer annular wall 53 that is retained in tact With a gas flow between said g s Spaces spaced relation with the under side of the tray with the liquid in said tray, an overflow d to provide a pressure equalizing passage 54 thereconnected with the tray for discharge of exaround. The bottom 52 of the outer receptacle cess contact liquid, said tray having an outlet also has an opening 56 for passing the lower opening in the bottom thereof, and a liquid separator connected with said outlet opening and disposed entirely below the bottom of the tray wherethrough heavy liquid flows from the tray while the light said tray for contact with the gas and for overmeans surrounding the outlet for conducting excess of the heavier liquid through the gas space below the tray.

4. In a gas and liquid contact apparatus incontact liquid is retained in said trays for contact with the gas and for overflow from the respective trays through the overflow ducts, said separators including receptacles connected with and depending from the bottoms of the respective trays in registry with said openings to collect the heavier component of the liquid in a spaces between the respective trays.

HUMES B. MANLEY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

